Bus Operator Driven by Passion for His Work

by Cathy Lickteig Makofski Special to The Washington Post. April 3, 2003 .

When Michael Parker was a child, he had a fleet of toy buses — school buses, city buses and long distance coaches — and he spent hours pretending to drive them to “some place fun and interesting.” Today Parker, 44, can be found behind the wheel of a 23-ton, 400- horsepower, plush commuter bus shuttling passengers between Columbia and Washington. Each morning he takes his seat in the driver’s well to make the first of two daily round trips via Route 29. Through the huge double-decker windshield and the side-view mirrors, he constantly monitors the road and traffic once he leaves the Eyre Bus Service terminal in Glenelg. “I have to bring my A game to work every day, and there is no room for error,” said Parker, who has worked for Eyre for 15 years. Before starting his run, the veteran driver tries to make sure he’s not distracted or angry in any way. “Anger can be dangerous in this line of work,” he said. “I am motivated to be at my best because I have the lives of 56 passengers in the palm of my hands.” Parker leaves his Baltimore home at 3:30 a.m. for the 30- to 40- minute drive to the Eyre terminal. That gives him plenty of time to make sure everything’s in order before bus No. 111, the 5:05 a.m., heads out in the darkness to pick up passengers. Like an airplane pilot, Parker walks around his huge white bus with red lettering. He inspects the lights, tires and the heating and ventilation system. He also checks the brakes for air leaks and the engine for fluid leaks. “I am a stickler about safety on my bus, and our mechanics do a great job of keeping our buses in good operating condition,” Parker said. “If I find something that cannot be fixed in time for my run, I take a different bus.” Parker is one of 46 full-time drivers for Eyre, which operates 36 daily trips between Howard County and downtown Washington via either Route 29 or Interstate 95.When he has time, Parker helps train drivers for Eyre, which is the only commuter bus service between the two areas. Parker is lean and trim. His regulation gray trousers are perfectly pressed, and there’s not a spec of lint on his navy blue cardigan. In the morning, he welcomes passengers with a smile. It’s still there in the evening when he returns them to their stop and says good night — even after a long day of maneuvering through snarled Washington traffic. “He’s such a friendly driver to everyone,” said Andrea Robinson, 34, commuting to Silver Spring. “He gets his smiles returned.” After attending Morgan State University, Parker drove for United Parcel Service. Later he attended a special training program in Anne Arundel County to drive a school bus, which he did for three years before joining Eyre Bus Service. In stressful times, Parker thinks back to the basics of his training with Eyre and the school system. “I always try to have a plan to get out of a potentially dangerous situation, stay out of the pack of traffic, and try not to get caught in the ‘place of no return’ — too close to stop for a red light and too far back to run through it as it is turning red,” he said. Parker said he never forgets that “a bus needs an entire football field to stop.” “Mike’s motion is fluid, not jerky, and he doesn’t hit the brakes forcing us forward in our seats. . . . He always seems to be in control of his bus,” said Kevin Larkins, 34, a daily passenger. Steve Parker, Eyre’s manager of operations and no relation to the driver, said customers often ask that Mike Parker drive their route. “He is a thorough professional, knowledgeable about his work in every aspect,” he said. “Assigning work to Michael Parker means that we don’t have to worry about that trip; the only thing we have to do is pass along to him the letters and calls of commendation.” After his second round trip of the day — bus No. 109 departing Columbia at 9 a.m. and arriving in Washington about 10:30 a.m. — Parker has a break until 3 o’clock. He parks his bus in Anacostia Park and waits there along with other commuter and tour bus drivers. Before returning to Columbia, he finishes some paperwork and rests. Parker said most of his passengers are very nice and just want a quiet ride. “Every once in a while, someone will get on who is having a bad day and wants to make sure I have one, too. I just try to ignore it,” he said. With nearly 200 miles behind the wheel each day, how does Parker keep from getting tired or bored? “All I have to do is look out the windshield and see the things – - weather, speeders, aggressive behavior — that could cause problems if I don’t pay attention and stay sharp,” he said. When he is not working, Parker enjoys watching football, basketball, baseball, NASCAR and movies. His wife, Robin, works full time, and two of their four children are still at home. None, Parker said, is interested in becoming a bus operator. Parker and his wife take driving vacations; they do not fly. In addition to his daily commuter runs, Parker drives charter trips several times a month for Eyre. Frequently, he takes groups to New York or Philadelphia for several days. “Spring and fall are the busiest times for charters, and I have quite a few lined up this year,” he said. Parker said he can envision himself driving for many more years. “I am a lucky and blessed man. It’s not often that you have a job that is a lot more than a paycheck,” he said. Eventually, however, he would like to become involved in accident investigation work for the National Transportation Safety Board. “I think I am at the point in my career where I can start giving back to the industry that I love,” he said. In the meantime, Parker’s passengers seem glad that he’s living out his boyhood dreams in Howard County. “I like this driver and this bus,” said Barbara Prophet, 57, who has been riding Parker’s bus every day for more than two years. “When I see Mike in the driver’s seat each morning, it’s like going to my car knowing that everything is in place.” athy Lickteig Makofski. The Washington Post. April 3, 2003

When Michael Parker was a child, he had a fleet of toy buses — school buses, city buses and long distance coaches — and he spent hours pretending to drive them to “some place fun and interesting.”

Today Parker, 44, can be found behind the wheel of a 23-ton, 400- horsepower, plush commuter bus shuttling passengers between Columbia and Washington. Each morning he takes his seat in the driver’s well to make the first of two daily round trips via Route 29. Through the huge double-decker windshield and the side-view mirrors, he constantly monitors the road and traffic once he leaves the Eyre Bus Service terminal in Glenelg.

“I have to bring my A game to work every day, and there is no room for error,” said Parker, who has worked for Eyre for 15 years. Before starting his run, the veteran driver tries to make sure he’s not distracted or angry in any way.

“Anger can be dangerous in this line of work,” he said. “I am motivated to be at my best because I have the lives of 56 passengers in the palm of my hands.”

Parker leaves his Baltimore home at 3:30 a.m. for the 30- to 40- minute drive to the Eyre terminal. That gives him plenty of time to make sure everything’s in order before bus No. 111, the 5:05 a.m., heads out in the darkness to pick up passengers.

Like an airplane pilot, Parker walks around his huge white bus with red lettering. He inspects the lights, tires and the heating and ventilation system. He also checks the brakes for air leaks and the engine for fluid leaks.

“I am a stickler about safety on my bus, and our mechanics do a great job of keeping our buses in good operating condition,” Parker said. “If I find something that cannot be fixed in time for my run, I take a different bus.”

Parker is one of 46 full-time drivers for Eyre, which operates 36 daily trips between Howard County and downtown Washington via either Route 29 or Interstate 95.When he has time, Parker helps train drivers for Eyre, which is the only commuter bus service between the two areas.

Parker is lean and trim. His regulation gray trousers are perfectly pressed, and there’s not a spec of lint on his navy blue cardigan. In the morning, he welcomes passengers with a smile. It’s still there in the evening when he returns them to their stop and says good night — even after a long day of maneuvering through snarled Washington traffic.

“He’s such a friendly driver to everyone,” said Andrea Robinson, 34, commuting to Silver Spring. “He gets his smiles returned.”

After attending Morgan State University, Parker drove for United Parcel Service. Later he attended a special training program in Anne Arundel County to drive a school bus, which he did for three years before joining Eyre Bus Service.

In stressful times, Parker thinks back to the basics of his training with Eyre and the school system.

“I always try to have a plan to get out of a potentially dangerous situation, stay out of the pack of traffic, and try not to get caught in the ‘place of no return’ — too close to stop for a red light and too far back to run through it as it is turning red,” he said.

Parker said he never forgets that “a bus needs an entire football field to stop.”

“Mike’s motion is fluid, not jerky, and he doesn’t hit the brakes forcing us forward in our seats. . . . He always seems to be in control of his bus,” said Kevin Larkins, 34, a daily passenger.

Steve Parker, Eyre’s manager of operations and no relation to the driver, said customers often ask that Mike Parker drive their route.

“He is a thorough professional, knowledgeable about his work in every aspect,” he said. “Assigning work to Michael Parker means that we don’t have to worry about that trip; the only thing we have to do is pass along to him the letters and calls of commendation.”

After his second round trip of the day — bus No. 109 departing Columbia at 9 a.m. and arriving in Washington about 10:30 a.m. — Parker has a break until 3 o’clock. He parks his bus in Anacostia Park and waits there along with other commuter and tour bus drivers. Before returning to Columbia, he finishes some paperwork and rests.

Parker said most of his passengers are very nice and just want a quiet ride.

“Every once in a while, someone will get on who is having a bad day and wants to make sure I have one, too. I just try to ignore it,” he said.

With nearly 200 miles behind the wheel each day, how does Parker keep from getting tired or bored?

“All I have to do is look out the windshield and see the things – - weather, speeders, aggressive behavior — that could cause problems if I don’t pay attention and stay sharp,” he said.

When he is not working, Parker enjoys watching football, basketball, baseball, NASCAR and movies. His wife, Robin, works full time, and two of their four children are still at home. None, Parker said, is interested in becoming a bus operator. Parker and his wife take driving vacations; they do not fly.

In addition to his daily commuter runs, Parker drives charter trips several times a month for Eyre. Frequently, he takes groups to New York or Philadelphia for several days.

“Spring and fall are the busiest times for charters, and I have quite a few lined up this year,” he said.

Parker said he can envision himself driving for many more years.

“I am a lucky and blessed man. It’s not often that you have a job that is a lot more than a paycheck,” he said.

Eventually, however, he would like to become involved in accident investigation work for the National Transportation Safety Board.

“I think I am at the point in my career where I can start giving back to the industry that I love,” he said.

In the meantime, Parker’s passengers seem glad that he’s living out his boyhood dreams in Howard County.

“I like this driver and this bus,” said Barbara Prophet, 57, who has been riding Parker’s bus every day for more than two years. “When I see Mike in the driver’s seat each morning, it’s like going to my car knowing that everything is in place.”